WISCONSIN — Wisconsin will get $409,000 in federal grants for lead testing in schools and child care facilities, according to the Biden-Harris administration.

It’s part of a total $26 million being awarded to centers across the U.S. from the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan.

What You Need To Know

  • Wisconsin will get $409,000 in federal grants for lead testing in schools and child care facilities

  • It’s part of a total $26 million being awarded to centers across the U.S. from the Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan

  • Thousands of Wisconsin children are poisoned by exposure to lead every year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Service

  • Lead pipes are a problem Wisconsinites have been tackling for a while, with over half of the state’s housing built before 1978, a year when lead-based paint was commonly used

The announcement follows an appearance by several Milwaukeeans at the Democratic National Convention, who spoke on the administration’s efforts to remove lead pipes from the city.

“Lead was everywhere—in our pipes, in our paint, and in our soil,” Deanna Branch of Milwaukee said Wednesday evening.

Thousands of Wisconsin children are poisoned by exposure to lead every year, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Exposure to lead can harm mental and physical development, causing a slowdown in learning and potentially “irreversible” damage to the brain.

Earlier this year, Wisconsin DHS recommended blood lead tests for all children in the state, which aligned with the federal Medicaid requirement.

Lead pipes are a problem Wisconsinites have been tackling for a while, with over half of the state’s housing built before 1978, a year when lead-based paint was commonly used. At least 92 communities are affected across the state.

According to Wisconsin Policy Forum, a reason why lead service lines haven’t been totally replaced is because it’s expensive for both utility companies and its customers. Wisconsin has replaced or decommissioned more than 37,000 lead service lines in the last five years, officials have said.

This federal grant money aims to further tackle the issue.

“The science is clear: There is no safe level of exposure to lead,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Bruno Pigott in a press release. “As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, this $26 million will help protect our children from the harmful impacts of lead. EPA is also investing $15 billion under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to remove lead pipes and is providing technical assistance to communities to help them develop and implement lead pipe replacement projects.”

The Voluntary School and Childcare Lead Testing and Reduction Grant has provided over $150 million in funding for testing and removal of lead in drinking water in schools and child care facilities since 2019. The program requires recipients to use the 3Ts — Training, Testing and Taking Action. The 3Ts program provides assistance and resources for states to take action.

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